Overview

In this searing, heartfelt memoir, a Jewish woman embarks on an international journey to retrace her late father's escape from Nazi Germany, beautifully weaving past and present as she grapples with loss, intergenerational trauma, and hope for a more just future. Like the layers of earth that accumulate from generation to generation, the layers of a family's story, constantly impacted by the effects of erosion and destruction, build, break down, and build up again. Eventually all the layers intermingle. Bocholt, Germany, 1938: The son of textile and clothing store owners, Walter Stern was a young boy when Hitler came to power. As violence against Jews escalated, Walter's father began smuggling money into Holland, carefully hiding rolled up bills under his bicycle seat. When their shop is destroyed during Kristallnacht, the night of shattered glass, the family is forced to flee the country, narrowly avoiding capture while crossing into Holland. After his father and uncle are arrested-and later sent to their deaths at Auschwitz-Walter, with his mother and grandmother, find refuge in a cramped corner of a farmer's attic, where Walter listens to the BBC to break the monotony and paints to dull the fear. They are liberated after 909 days in the attic. Massachusetts, 2016: In the wake of a tumultuous election and the rise of antisemitic and racist hate crimes across the country, Irene Stern Frielich feels compelled to better understand her father's past. Armed with letters, documents, and her father's archival video testimony made in 1993, months before his passing, Irene painstakingly maps out her ancestors' route to safety. In 2018, accompanied by her husband and oldest son, she travels to Germany, a place to which her father swore he would never return. Over the course of three trips to Germany and Holland, Irene connects with the current owner of her family's clothing shop, shares tears with the grandson of the Dutch farmer who kept Walter safe, and fights for her family's story to be remembered. As she follows the exact path her family used when fleeing for survival, she reflects on how the past leaves an indelible mark on future generations. Thoughtfully researched and poignantly written, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts is a love letter to generations lost, a testament to the importance of memory, and a powerful reminder that we can always find our way home in the most unexpected places. Awards: The BookFest gold award, 2024; National Federation of Press Women, second place in memoir, 2024.

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Reviews

"""This is a gripping memoir in which readers will discover a strong intersection between the violence of Nazi Germany and the anti-Semitic rhetoric that characterized the period of the elections in the US in 2016.""-Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite ""A deeply impactful and insightful read!""-Christine Nguyen, Readers' Favorite "" ... an emotional, compelling memoir exquisitely written ...""-Michelle Robertson, Readers' Favorite ""A compelling narrative of Holocaust memory and its links to the present ... offers the reader a glimpse into the possibilities of hope and resilience in times of social conflict. An enriching read even in times of social darkness.""-John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago ""Irene is a remarkable, courageous woman with a story of reconciliation to tell. Her journey to retrace her father's steps and heal from the horrors he faced is a powerful one that gripped me every step of the way.""-Virginia Swain, Reconciliation Leader, Institute for Global Leadership ""A thoroughly readable, bitter-sweet exploration of one family's story of survival ... a compelling narrative highlighting emotional, personal, and physical connections to the not-too-distant past, while at the same time leaving the reader wondering whether enough lessons have been learned for the future.""-Jessica Feinstein, Managing Editor, JewishGen Press ""The emotional narrative transforms this memoir into a thrilling story that is impossible to put down. The author skillfully interweaves the memories of her father from the testimony video with the recreated facts of his life in Germany and Holland and her own amazing experiences and unexpected encounters in Europe.""-Nino Lobiladze, Readers' Favorite ""Author Irene Stern Frielich has a beautiful way of connecting past to present in this expansive and enthralling work of both biography and memoir ... a demonstration of the raw emotive power of storytelling ... ""-K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite"

Author Information

Irene Stern Frielich is the owner of an award-winning instructional design consulting firm in Massachusetts. She has had numerous professional articles published in trade magazines. She has also written pieces about her experiences uncovering her father's story, some of which are published in German and Dutch. Irene carries deep gratitude to have visited the places where eighteen individuals demonstrated courage, compassion, and kindness to help her family survive the Holocaust. Irene and her husband, Seth, enjoy spending time with their grown children who live in Massachusetts and North Carolina. An enthusiastic nature lover, Irene's outdoor activities include kayaking, biking, and snowshoeing, which keep her happy year-round. She also loves cooking with her family, even if it's virtually.

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